Claughton Hotel 3-8 FC Village
17/02/07 - League

For the first time this season the Village had the luxury of a huge selection problem as they took 17 players (Cottier was the only squad member missing) to their first game in February and 3 of the 6 subs were disappointed that they weren’t going to get a game. With both sides of the pitch rather boggy and the long grass hindering any wing play most of the game was to be played down the middle as the Village took the game to the home side. The Village started to close in on the Claughton goal and were unlucky not to open the scoring when a beautifully flighted free kicked was just kept out by the keeper who also stopped Martin from netting the loose ball. However the keeper was hurt in this collision and he was soon to depart the field but not after he had denied Gavin for a second time keeping out his far post header. With a change of keepers having been made Claughton took a surprise lead against the run of play when a long through found a forward who looked way off side but the ref waved play and he ran on to slot home. Stunned by this the Village laid siege to the Claughton goal and Sweeney had 2 goals disallowed for offside before they deservedly equalised. Booey’s deep cross to the far post picked out Damo who coolly headed home for 1-1. Maggot had already fluffed a glorious one on one when he made amends just before half time with two quick fire goals to firmly put the Village in the driving seat. The first came when he got the ball on the edge of the area and curled in a neat shot past the stand in keeper and then he got the ball out of the left and drove a fine shot in the far corner of the net. Within ten minutes of the start of the second half the Village had shown the game up and it was just a matter of how many they were going to score. Damo got his second of the game when Sweeney made a great run down the right and crossed for him to knock in at the near post and then Maggot completed his hat-trick when his lob come cross from wide out on the left sailed right over the keepers head in to the far corner of the net. Goal number six went to Martin for his first goal for the club when he broke down the left and fired in a well taken effort from the edge of the area with his left boot. Claughton now scored a second goal with another effort that initially looked well off side and both Jay and Leigh nearly stopped it before it went in off Leigh. The Village then made a triple substitution as Colin, Muzza and Les (his debut) all came on for the last half hour or so and still the visitors were able to pour forward in numbers. Maggot took a decisive lead at the head of the top goal scorer’s chart when he grabbed his fourth of the game as he cut in from the right and fired home. Finally the Village completed their scoring with an eighth goal when they got a penalty after Booey was brought down and so Damo was given the chance to get his hat-trick as he was given the ball for the resulting spot kick and he duly obliged as his effort sneaked under the diving keeper. Claughton who started the goal rout then finished it when they got a third consolation and yet again it looked miles off side but with eight of their own the team didn’t really protest that much. More goals could have come before the final whistle went but the side had played well and must keep this sort of form up in their remaining league games.